Five Sri Lankans arrested by Maldivian security forces with a large stock of narcotics are to be detained and questioned for 30 days, according to Maldivian authorities.

Sri Lankan police said that, as a result, the suspects cannot be repatriated to Sri Lanka at present.

The arrests were made on 7 November, when Maldivian security forces intercepted a multi-day fishing vessel named Avishka Putha within Maldivian territorial waters. More than 355 kilograms of “ice” and heroin were found on board, while the five crew members were taken into custody.

The seizure was carried out following a joint investigation by the Sri Lanka Navy, Police Narcotics Bureau, and Maldivian defence and police forces.

A team of Sri Lankan Navy and Police Narcotics Bureau officers had travelled to the Maldives to bring the suspects back to Sri Lanka. However, it has been reported that the Maldivian authorities have obtained a court order to detain the suspects locally, preventing their transfer.

Sri Lankan security officers who travelled to the Maldives are expected to return to the island within the next two days.